The Pyrate Queen
by lady scribe of avandell
Summary: I was only sixteen when the pirates came. My sisters kept their wits about them, but I was immediately smitten. They were the great adventure I had been waiting for, a chance to see the world. I had not had much chance to do so before. (abandoned)
1. The Pirate King

A/N: yes, i know, i *should* be writing about eomer and lothiriel. but i couldn't help it! i saw pirates of penzance twice in one weekend (making it three times that i've seen it), and i just had to write a story about the ever-gorgeous pirate king (and his pirate queen, of course)! consider it my breather--i've been stuck in middle earth for so long that i've had dreams about my fanfic characters (not that that's a bad thing...). so anyways, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show........  
  
**disclaimer** i am making no profit off of my fanfic. i wish that i was, because i'd immediately turn it into a script and make a movie out of it (with m.o. as the pirate king...hehe).  
  
Chapter I  
  
The way my sisters talk about the pirates, you would believe that they were merely ruffians who left Frederic on that beach just so Mabel could fall in love with him and they could come back and kidnap me. We all know that's not true, but who would believe the real story? No one, save perhaps dreamers. Dreamers will believe anything. I would know. I'm one of them. But I am going off track, as we dreamers are wont to do.  
  
I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Ada Marie Railey, formerly Ada Marie Broome, youngest daughter of Major-General John Broome. As you may or may not know, I was the sister that was "abducted" by the pirates (or more accurately, the Pirate King). I wasn't *really* abducted, though. I *wanted* to go with him. And so my story begins, with the day the Pirates of Penzance found my sisters and I on that beach near Cornwall.  
  
************  
  
I was only sixteen when the pirates came. My sisters kept their wits about them, but I was immediately smitten. They were the great adventure I had been waiting for, a chance to see the world. I had not had much chance to do so before. I was the youngest, and being such rendered me oft-forgotten when it came to the social parties and balls my sisters attended. Not that they enjoyed the parties. Nay, they ever and anon came home complaining about their suitors (who were pompous imbeciles) and their feet (which were always sore after dancing with said imbeciles). They all assured me that I didn't miss a thing, especially Mabel who never liked to do anything except sing. But I would have liked to decide if balls were boring on my own. Ah well. I no longer care that I never attended a real British ball, for I am quite content with my station now. And I am getting off track again! Now where was I? Ah yes, the pirates.  
  
They were roguishly handsome in the way that only pirates (and medieval outlaws) are. As I said before, I was immediately smitten. Well, almost. I was frightened at first, but then I saw him. The Pirate King. He was one of those men that women immediately fall for, no matter what his reputation might be. He was young (as far as Pirate Kings go), and long and lean, almost Elf-like, save for his cheeky grin. He was gorgeous, and he knew it.  
  
He walked among us, his eyes laughing at our frightened faces as we struggled to escape the men that held us down. When he went past me, he stopped and turned back. "And what might your name be?" he asked, his dark eyes glittering.  
  
"Don't tell him!" cried Isabel from behind me.  
  
I took a deep breath. "Ada," I whispered.  
  
"Ada," he repeated, smiling genuinely now. "How old are you?"  
  
"Sixteen--seventeen come October."  
  
"Only sixteen?" He raised his eyebrows. "You look older."  
  
I blushed at that. "Thank you."  
  
"You stay away from her, you sea-rat!" It was another of my sisters--Lillie, or maybe Clara. I didn't know, and I didn't care. I'd just been complimented. By a *pirate.*  
  
It seemed the Pirate King ignored her as well, because he leaned closer to me. "Do you know who we are, Ada?"  
  
"P-pirates."  
  
"Aye! The Pirates of Penzance!" he cried, followed by a chorus of shouts from his men.  
  
My heart leapt in my throat at the name of the notorious band, and I heard a scream from behind me. I wrenched myself out of the arms of the man who held me and turned. Isabel had fainted, and my sisters had surrounded her, save for Mabel, who was oblivious to everything except Frederic. Clara was fanning Isabel, and the others whispered. Lillie leaned over to me and hissed, "Ada, how could you?"  
  
"How could I what?"  
  
"Tell them your name and your age!" she snapped.  
  
"What would you have liked me to do? Stand there and pretend I didn't know it?" I whispered, absolutely furious. "Who knows what he would have done to force it out of me?!"  
  
"Aye, who knows?" came a voice from behind us. We twirled around. It was him, and he was grinning devilishly. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have kissed her too hard. After all, she is nought but an innocent little girl!" He leered at me.  
  
"And you are nought but a-a despicable sea-rat!" Lillie spat. It wasn't much as far as insults go, but I was so thankful she had come to my defense, I didn't care. "Leave us be," she continued, "and we will not tell our father that we saw you."  
  
He laughed at her. "Your father? And who might he be? The king of England?" The pirates guffawed, apparently amused by the joke.  
  
"I am the Major-General." We all turned at the sound of Papa's voice. He walked down from the rocky path onto the beach. "And who are you?" he asked the Pirate King with disdain in his voice.  
  
"I am a single gentleman, as are all of my companions." He gestured to his men. "And I--we, would like nothing more than to have your daughters' hands in marriage." He said the last with a flourished bow.  
  
"Oh, Papa, don't believe him!" It was Isabel, who had recently overcome her fainting spell. "They're pirates! The infamous Pirates of Penzance!"  
  
"Yes, but we are all single men!"  
  
My father's face slowly turned red, as it always does when he gets angry. "You most certainly may not marry a single one of my daughters!" He signaled to the servants who immediately rushed down to seize the pirates. They caught all of them except, of course, the Pirate King, who winked at me and ran into the ocean, never to be seen again. Or so I thought. 


	2. Moonlit Meetings

A/N: *before i get into this, i thought i'd mention that this is going to be a-little-more-than-slightly au. it's not easy changing a rather silly operetta into a first-person account through the eyes of a couple of side characters. i will, however, stick some lines from the songs in (along with a few g&s in-jokes), so be on the look out!  
  
**disclaimer** gilbert and sullivan own the characters (except for ada who was my invention). they also own the plot (except for the stuff that doesn't happen in the operetta).  
  
Chapter II  
  
I had no idea how in the world I was going to save my crew from the deadly drop that was sure to be awaiting them. I did know that Frederic would be no help, seeing as he had completely turned against us in favor of that stuck-up twit Mabel. I was sitting on the deck of our lovely ship, the Queen Victoria, deep in thought, when it came to me. Ada. She would help me.  
  
I had been drawn to Ada Broome the moment I saw her. It wasn't her beauty, for she was not the prettiest of the sisters. Nay, the thing that drew me was the look in her eyes. What we adventurers call the longing. That "take me with you" look that screams for a chance to see anything and everything. She wanted adventure, and I knew where to find it. In helping pirates escape the gallows. It was an opportunity she wouldn't refuse. I grinned, pleased with my plan, and set about deciding the best way to go about it.  
  
************  
  
It was nearly midnight when I left the ship. I rowed to the same place where we first met the daughters of the estimable Major-General Broome. From there, it was easy to pick my way up the path to the family's estate.  
  
The house was huge. Three stories, two main wings, and one giant door. The bedrooms would be in the back, of course, and on one of the upper floors. I slipped around to the other side of the house, and there I saw it. My assumption had been correct. There was one lit window on the second floor. I quietly scaled the wall (much easier than climbing the rigging) and climbed onto the balcony. I peered inside. It was a bedroom, though whose, I did not know. I pulled the door open and slipped inside.  
  
"I am the monarch of the sea, I am the ruler of the Queen's navy...." A rather off-key bass was singing in the bath.  
  
Immediately, I knew I was in the wrong bedroom. I dashed out into the hall, slamming the door behind me. Another door down the hall creaked open. "Papa?" a voice called. One of the sisters wandered out of her room. "Papa?" I hid behind a statue of a Grecian goddess and watched as the girl stuck her head into the room I had just exited. "Papa, have you been singing the music from H.M.S. Pinafore again? You know we can hear you down the hall."  
  
I could just make out the Major-General's muffled apology. The girl sighed and returned to her room. I made a mental note of the rooms I was sure were *not* Ada's and picked another at random. The room was completely dark. I heard a slight rustle of fabric and a voice. "Frederic? What took you so long?" I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. So our duty-bound Frederic wasn't so noble after all.  
  
Two incorrect rooms later, I finally found Ada. She was actually asleep, unlike the rest of her family. She looked like an angel, spread out on her great four-poster bed and wrapped in bluish satin sheets. Her hair was gold, even in the moonlight slanting through the window. I lit a candle and set it on the bedside table. Quietly, I brushed my hand against her cheek. She shuddered slightly and opened her eyes sleepily. She squinted at me for a moment. "What are you doing in here?" she gasped.  
  
"I came to see you," I answered. It was a rather ridiculous statement, but I wasn't really sure how to tell her I needed her to help me free my crew.  
  
"Are you sure you want to see me and not one of my sisters?"  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Well! I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment!" She sat up slightly and pushed the sheets aside, revealing her long legs. "Now, what did you have in mind?"  
  
I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the blankets back over her lower body. "Gods, woman, I didn't want to see you like that!"  
  
"Well then, what did you want to see me like?" Her voice was edged with confusion and a hint of-- was it regret?  
  
"I need your help," I whispered. "Your father plans to have all of my men hanged, correct?" She nodded. "I need you to help me free them."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"Because you are the daughter of a Major-General. You are important enough that you could possibly persuade the guards to give you the keys to the cells."  
  
She looked at me skeptically. "Any one of my sisters would also have that ability."  
  
"Yes, but you I can trust."  
  
"You can trust me?" she repeated. "What do I get in return?"  
  
"My eternal gratitude?" I suggested.  
  
She shook her head. "I want something else from you."  
  
"What?" I was desperately hoping it was something easy, like a piece of pirate gold or a bullet or something. Something I could give her without it being too obtrusive.  
  
"I want you," she leaned closer to me, "to take me with you."  
  
"Absolutely not! Do you have any idea what could happen if we were chased down? We'd be killed and you! You'd be...be...." I trailed off because nothing would happen to her. She'd claim she was kidnapped and they would take pity on her and say nothing.  
  
"I'd be shipped off to whichever stodgy, rich lord took pity on me first," she finished sweetly. "I think you would get the better end of the deal."  
  
I sputtered, unable to agree, but unable to disagree. "Fine. If you help me, and if we are successful, I will bring you along. Agreed?" I asked, thinking that by the time all the excitement of rescuing a band of pirates had left her, we would be able to sail away with her sitting at her balcony only a little worse for the wear.  
  
"Agreed." She took my hand and gave it a shake. "Now, out." She gestured to the window. I nodded and slid down the column as quietly as I had climbed it earlier. I marked her room for future reference and took off, whistling a jolly tune. At that point, I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into. 


	3. Questions Answered

A/N: yay! i'm so glad that somebody likes the story! btw, lotr-nutcase, if you want a summary of the operetta so you kinda know what's happening, just let me know. also, i'm glad you remembered how to breath, c'est magnifique. i'd hate to lose one of my reviewers..lol.  
  
**disclaimer** take heart, poor wandering ones, i don't own any of this!  
  
Chapter III  
  
It wasn't until after the Pirate King left that I realized I'd forgotten to ask him several important questions. I had no idea when and where we would next meet, what his plan was, how we would get my things to the ship without my family noticing, and what his name was. This last vexed me the most. I had told him my name easily enough, but he had yet to give me his.  
  
I sighed and got out of bed. I wandered over to the balcony where I could just barely see a figure running through the trees toward the ocean. It was the Pirate King, of course. I smiled slightly, thinking back to our second encounter.  
  
He had surprised me, showing up in my room after midnight. At first, I thought that maybe he wanted to bed me or something, though why, precisely, I had no idea. I was not as pretty as Isabel, nor did I have Clara's spirit or Lillie's sweet disposition. Not that I minded, oh no, I would have entertained him if that had been what he wanted. Yes, I was audacious. I suppose it comes with being the youngest. I never would have been noticed otherwise. In any case, that was the same reason I agreed to help him. I wanted to be noticed. By making him promise to take me when the pirates left, I would never be forgotten. Or even if I was forgotten, I'd at least be having the time of my life. I smiled. In a few weeks, I would be sailing the high seas with the Pirate King, who was by far the most glorious man I had ever met.  
  
With that thought, I retreated back into my room, climbed into my bed, and drifted into a sleep filled with dreams of grandeur.  
  
************  
  
"Papa, I think we have a ghost in our house." Mabel was the first of us to speak at breakfast.  
  
"Did you have someone come in your room, too?" squealed Rosie. "I heard the door open, but when I looked, there was no one there!"  
  
I managed to suppress a smile. Apparently, the Pirate King had taken a while to find me, a thought that pleased me deeply.  
  
"Yes, my dear girls, I thought I heard a noise as well," Papa said.  
  
Clara leaned over to me. "How could he have?" she whispered. "He was singing from that infernal nonsense of an opera again."  
  
"Which one? Pinafore or Iolanthe?" I asked.  
  
"Both." She giggled. "And he's so terrible at it!" If there was one thing our father was not, it was an opera singer. He didn't realize that, and so we were often tortured by his horrible recitations of various pieces from operas. I think the worst of it was that afterward, I'd be singing the songs in my head.  
  
"It was probably nothing but the wind," Papa continued. "Don't fret. I'm sure you will all be quite safe from anything that might try to harm you. After all, the Pirates of Penzance are in jail." I nearly burst into laughter. "Ada, is something troubling you?" he asked.  
  
"N-nothing. Nothing at all," I stuttered, my face red. "Excuse me, I'm going to take a walk down to the beach." I stood quickly, wiping my face on my napkin.  
  
"May I come with you?" It was Lillie.  
  
I shook my head. "I'm going to do some drawing," I lied. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe all day." I shrugged.  
  
"Oh, well, never mind then."  
  
"I'll take something to eat with me." With that, I exited the dining hall and ran to my bedroom where I grabbed my drawing satchel. "Goodbye!" I called and took off for the trail to the hidden inlet.  
  
************  
  
It was midmorning when I reached the inlet. It was a warm day, so I removed my shoes, stockings, and my outer dress. I waded in the breakers wearing just my petticoats. It was heaven.  
  
"I do declare, Ada Broome, you are the most brazen noblewoman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." I looked up, and there was the Pirate King standing on the beach next to my dress with a huge grin on his face.  
  
"The water was so clear! I couldn't stop myself!" I gushed, walking back to shore.  
  
He laughed. "That could not be the only reason you are here. Did you want to see me?"  
  
"I have a few questions for you," I replied.  
  
"Ask away." He sat, and gestured for me to do the same.  
  
"First, what is your plan?"  
  
"I haven't decided exactly. Do you know when the trial will be?"  
  
I shook my head. "But I can find out. I do know that whatever the outcome, it will take place the next day." I dared not mention the fact that hanging would be the most common judgement for his men.  
  
"We'll want to wait until the night after the trial. Then we can act."  
  
"Alright then. Next question: how are we going to get my belongings from our house to your ship without my family noticing?" I smiled at the look on his face. He had obviously expected me to forget about that half of our pact. "Well?"  
  
"If you can bring some of your smaller items when we meet," he said slowly, "I can store them on the ship. We'll have to worry about anything much bigger the night of the escape."  
  
"Which brings me to the next question: when and where should we next meet? My family will get suspicious if I come here too often."  
  
He sighed at this and leaned back onto my now-sandy dress. "I could come to your room."  
  
"I suppose, but you'll have to be quiet," I conceded. "But before we do anything else, I have to know; what is your name?"  
  
"Matthew Adam Railey. The second."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "Who was the first?"  
  
"My grandfather." He grinned. "And now I have some questions for you. First of all, while we're on the subject, what is your full name?"  
  
"Ada Marie Broome. I was named after my great-aunt. She moved to America instead of getting married."  
  
His eyes shone in delight. "An adventuress! No wonder...."  
  
"No wonder what?"  
  
"Would you like to know the *full* reason why I came to you?"  
  
"So it's not because I'm the daughter of the Major-General?" I asked.  
  
"Well, that's part of it," he answered. "But mostly it was because I saw that look in your eyes. You crave adventure, don't you?" I nodded. "You have the longing all of us adventurers have, both respectable and outlaw. It's that need to escape what you are and be someone completely different. If I hadn't seen that glimmer in your eyes, I would be planning this escape on my own. Thank the gods that be that you are a reckless spirit."  
  
I know I blushed deeply at his compliment. "Thank you," I said quietly. Then I looked up and realized the sun was high in the sky. "Do you know what time it is?"  
  
The Pirate King--Matthew, I reminded myself--looked up at the sky as well. "It's nearly one, would be my guess."  
  
"I suppose I should go, then. They'll be wondering where I am. We don't need them to come looking for me."  
  
"Aye," he replied. He stood and picked up my dress, shaking it out a little. "Here's your dress."  
  
"Thank you." I smiled, taking it from him. "Could you help me button it?" He complied. "Tomorrow evening, then, Matthew?"  
  
"Tomorrow evening."  
  
"I'll see you then." I ran home, happy with the world. I was an adventuress, and I was unstoppable. 


	4. Moonlit Meetings Revisited

A/N: i have no idea where i want this to go. actually, that's a lie. i know where i want it to go, but i have no idea how to get it there. any ideas you might have, let me know!  
  
sorry this has taken so long (if you were actually reading it). my muse, manbechir, suddenly went into a coma and has only recently awoken. i think.  
  
disclaimer if i owned this, i would have updated sooner. i know i'm a bad person, leaving ada and matthew in the dust whilst briseis and diomedes and eomer and lothiriel are finding happiness.  
  
  
  
Chapter IV  
  
The next night, I again snuck up to Ada's room. She was waiting for me this time, her balcony open and a candle on her bedside table. "The trial is in a week," she said, turning the pages of her book. "When shall we act?"  
  
"The night of the trial," I answered. "Let them think there will be a hanging in the morning. The guards will relax their watch, and we shall be able to sneak in." I walked to her bed and took the book from her. "Ada, listen to me, that night, it will be dangerous for you to be out. Perhaps it would be safest if you waited until after I free the men."  
  
"Nonsense. I see what you are up to, Captain Broome," she sniffed. "You'll free the men and take off without me. If you even so much as think of it, I will tell my father of your plan." It was plain that she would indeed tell her father. I was not sure which I feared more: her wrath at being left behind or her father's wrath when we were caught. Nonetheless, I tried reasoning with her.  
  
"Ada, what if we are caught? Then what shall we do with you? The guards, and anyone else that sees us, will automatically think we are stealing you away."  
  
"But you are," she interrupted.  
  
I huffed. "Yes, but Ada, they will think we are kidnaping you, taking you without permission, so to speak. They would not believe us that you wanted to come."  
  
"Then I shall tell them." I couldn't help but laugh at her naivete. "What?" she asked, pouting.  
  
"Ada, don't you see? They won't believe you! They'll think I've forced you to say that!"  
  
"I'm still coming with you."  
  
I sighed, at last giving in. "Very well, but I want no complaints once we sail away. If I hear so much as a whisper of discomfort from you, I shall drop you off at the first port we find. And who knows where that might be."  
  
"Don't worry, I won't complain," she said, back to her usual smile. "You won't even know I'm there. Now, tell me how we're going to sneak into the jail."  
  
  
  
It was past two in the morning when I finally left Ada's room, my arms laden with some of her "smaller" belongings. I had urged her to bring only what was necessary; somehow that included several heavy books, a chest filled with who-knows-what, and a box of jewelry, all of which were in my hands as I ran back to the beach. I sighed. At least we had some idea of how the jailbreak was going to work.  
  
The plan was relatively simple: Ada would distract the guards until I could knock them out. Then we would take the keys and let the men out. Hopefully, all would go accordingly and we could be sailing for France before daybreak. Of course, with piracy, nothing ever goes accordingly.  
  
  
  
A/N: i know, i know. this is extremely short. so is the update i posted for my troy fic, "thy heart lies open." i hadn't written anything for either of them in so long, i'd lost interest. but i decided they both needed to be revived. so revive them i have, and hopefully the next chapters will be longer. 


End file.
